’Parasocial’, defined as involving or relating to a connection that someone feels with a famous person they do not know, has been named the Word of the Year for 2025, the Cambridge Dictionary announced on Tuesday, November 18.

Six thousand new words were also added to the dictionary in 2025, including ’delulu’, ’slop’, ’skibidi’ and ’tradwife’.

According to Cambridge officials, the year was marked by interest in one-sided parasocial relationships that people form with celebrities, influencers and AI chatbots.

When Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement, many fans felt a deep connection to the singer and the American footballer, even though most had never met them.

Also read: Dictionary.com's word of the year is '6-7'; but is it even a word and what does it mean?

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